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San Diego State will open branches in Republic of Georgia

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georgia0SDSU will be opening three campuses in the Republic of Georgia soon. In partnership with three Georgian colleges: Ilia State University, Tbilisi State University and Georgian Technical University; San Diego State will be overseeing branches concentrating on math, technology, science and engineering.

Offered through the Georgian schools will be bachelor degrees with the SDSU name on them in the following disciplines: electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science and chemistry/biochemistry. The campuses will also provide intensive education in the area of English language studies, preparing Georgian students for taking science classes in English.  After the program as ramped up its classroom offerings, online degrees in construction and civil engineering will become part of the curriculum.

The money for the venture will be provided mostly by a grant of $30 million from the U.S. Millennium Challenge Corporation. Since its founding ten years ago, the Challenge Corporation has been involved in joining with some of the poorest nations around the globe to stop the cycle of poverty and ignorance by creating opportunities for the peoples in the countries to attend modern educational institutions, as well as gaining access to health care facilities and use of improved infrastructure in the cities where the colleges are. In this enterprise the USMCC also partners with universities with the United States to create a joint venture between the countries.georgia2

The government of Georgia will also be kicking in funds. The majority of the funding will be used for construction and refurbishing of buildings for the campuses, including classrooms and laboratories. Plans call for a brand new building at Ilia State, and improvements to existing facilities at Georgia Technical.

The Republic of Georgia was selected in 2011 by the Millennial Challenge group as a region well-suited to their goals. After more than 25 American schools applied to be part of the program, SDSU was chosen based upon the relationships the school had been able to establish with the Georgian institutions.

georgia3Classes at the new SDSU campuses will be opening in the fall of 2015. Good luck to all the participants in this forward looking example of cooperation that cuts across political, geographical and cultural boundaries.

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